By Rey Joble

TALK N Text?s firepower has carried the team to the championship round.

But in a best-of-seven series, even the best offensive team must learn how to make defensive stops.

The Tropang Texters did exactly just that in Game 3 and the result was a 92-73 triumph over the Alaska Aces.

Talk N Text kept firebrand and Alaska point guard LA Tenorio from doing what he does best on the court, putting players that are even bigger, stronger and equally faster on the former Ateneo stalwart.

Tenorio was held scoreless in 25 minutes of play. With the Aces beaten soundly in the third game of the series, Alaska coach Tim Cone kept him out of the game to preserve him for the pivotal battle in Wednesday?s Game 4.

It was a tactic that he may have borrowed from the 1980 championship series between U-Tex and Toyota when Wranglers coach Tommy Manotoc pulled out his starters when the Tamaraws pulled ahead.

That tactic provided Manotoc great results as his team fought back from four points down in the final 16 seconds. They then pulled off a dramatic come-from-behind victory to win the crown.

Cone hopes the ploy could work wonders as well, but he believes Tenorio and his squad will bounce back stronger in a game that could either push them on threshold of winning their 13th crown or change the whole complexion of the series.

?LA was very fatigued in practice [Saturday],? said Cone. ?I was trying to limit his exposure in Game 3 and when they got the lead, I felt it was useless extending him, pushing him. I felt it was better to reserve him for Game 4.?